HATTIESBURG, Miss. - When Southern Miss head coach Todd Monken took over, he repeatedly talked about creating a sense of family within his program and that was no more apparent on Tuesday as the Golden Eagles worked through their fourth practice of the spring season.

As Monken closed practice with his media session, the first-year head coach insisted on answering questions while tossing the pigskin with his son, Travis, so as to make the most of every moment.

Without missing a beat, Monken said, "the effort (at practice) has been good. The energy has been good and the energy has been good. Guys always seem to have a smile on their face and the effort is there."

Spring is often the time where leaders emerge and Monken also noted his impressions on his senior class during the session held at the Joe P. Park Practice facility.

"We have a good group of seniors with some leadership quality," he said. "Even on special teams, you want to see guys give great effort, really sacrifice for their team, and I think we have that. Guys who are willing to work hard on special teams are usually an indication of what you have overall."

The chillier-than-normal temperatures for late March didn't slow down the Eagles who are working through their 15 spring practices to install Monken's high-paced offensive attack.

Southern Miss will be back on the fields of the Joe P. Park Practice Facility on Thursday for their fourth practice of the spring. Practices are open to the public but require a valid ID to gain access. Phones, cameras and notepads are prohibited during the session which is tentatively set to open at 3:50 p.m. CT.

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